Who will take over the Strictly presenting jobs in the wake of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s departure from the show?
The former Strictly Come Dancing judge Dame Arlene Phillips, who departed the show in 2009 after she was replaced by Alesha Dixon, told HELLO! that: “We don’t need a star. I think they should go with someone who is relatively unknown, rather than a big star.”
The star, 82, was speaking to HELLO! at the after-party of the Olivier awards, held at the Natural History Museum, the choreographer and theatre director, 82, told us: “We need someone who is warm and wonderful, a bit like the host of the Oliviers, Nick Mohammed. He’s just fantastic.”
Arlene was among the host of celebrities and performers who had gathered at the Royal Albert Hall for the 50th year of the ceremony, which celebrates the very best in British theatre and where Rosamund Pike and Rachel Zegler were among the winners.
Presented by the Ted Lasso and Celebrity Traitors star Nick, Rosamund, who won the best actress trophy for her role in Inter Alia at the National Theatre, put her head in her hands as her victory was announced. She went on to pay tribute to her fellow nominees, including Cate Blanchett, in her acceptance speech.
© Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Audi UKMeanwhile, Rachel, who captivated audiences with her performance in Evita last summer, treated the audience to a rendition of the show’s ballad Don’t Cry for Me Argentina before accepting her prize for best actress in a musical. She stopped briefly to squeeze the hand of Tom Hiddleston, who missed out on the best actor accolade.
The company of Paddington the Musical charmed the audience with a rousing performance of the song Marmalade, and the show was the biggest winner of the evening, taking home seven awards. Its composer, McFly star Tom Fletcher, collected the prize for best new musical alongside the writer Jessica Swale, and later told us how the production had changed his life.
“I feel like I have won the lottery with this show,” he said. “It’s got a very special message in it that keeps people coming back. It has that rare element of people of all ages being able to enjoy it, whether you’re a child or an adult.
“To see it mentioned tonight, alongside iconic shows like Evita and The Phantom of the Opera, is just amazing. I went to musical-theatre school as a kid, so this is a dream.”
© Dave BenettSilent Witness actress Emilia Fox, who watched the show from a box hosted by one of the Olivier Awards’ sponsors, Audi, told us how she had enjoyed witnessing “the labour of love” that was the event.
To read more on the Oliviers, read the print magazine out on Monday 20 April or join HELLO!’s VIP club for instant access to the magazine on your digital device.
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